What To Do When There Isn’t Enough Time To Test?

Do you frequently discover during your test phase that you don’t have ample time for testing? Things may have appeared manageable at the start, but you now find yourself consulting the “What to do when you don’t have enough time for testing?” portion of your risk management plan.

I have been in that predicament before, and I assure you, it’s no picnic. 🙂

I have spent considerable time pondering this problem. How can something that commenced so smoothly spiral out of control so abruptly? Here is my understanding.

=> Check out this Comprehensive Series on Crafting a Test Plan

What Happened to Your Testing Time?

First, why does this occur? Several reasons contribute to this, including:

#1) Misestimated Timing:

If your initial assessment was off the mark, problems are likely to arise. A sound test estimate should encompass the following:

• Prior preparation time – This involves:
  • Assembling a regression suite
  • Generating test data
  • Verifying test readiness (for example, Smoke/Sanity Test), etc.
• Test case upkeep: Test cases are beneficial assets over the long haul. Minor updates during execution are anticipated. It’s suggested to set aside around 30% of your test execution time for these small maintenance tasks for new products. Not every team or project may require 30%, but devote some time and energy to this task.
• Ad-hoc/Exploratory testing – The count of scripted tests plays a critical role in testing estimation. However, every test team will remain keen on exploring your software, regardless of whether the model is mainly scripted or not.
• Reporting/Communication – This covers triage/stand-up meetings, updating project management tools, etc.
• Risk Buffer: Standards suggest adding a 25-30% cushion to your original projections. However, teams seldom have the luxury to accommodate such a buffer. Still, attempt to maintain some wiggle room whenever possible.
• Team efficiency: If you have a new team or if they’re using a tool for the first time, you might need to allocate time for training. Tailor your estimates in accordance with the team you’re collaborating with.

Recommended reading => Inspect this source for further insights on successful test estimation techniques and methods.

#2) Flawed builds and other technical glitches:

• Smoke/Sanity test lapse: When the essential tests on the application being tested fail post-deployment into the QA environment, there’s little the QA team can do to execute tests. True, other tasks may continue during this period, but it doesn’t make up for the test cycle duration. This contributes significantly to lost time.
• Inaccessible test data: Data resembling production data is vital for every testing project. If the test data doesn’t reach the QA environment punctually, it becomes another obstacle. Testers can occasionally circumvent this by creating and managing their own test data, but it’s a time-consuming task and may not always be an effective solution.
• Problems in the test environment– Challenges like build failures, timeouts, among others, can consume your test cycle significantly. Some firms (not all) overlook the significance of a robust, lifelike environment for efficient QA. They may resort to low-capacity servers and makeshift arrangements, which is just a temporary solution and benefits nobody. In fact, it can compromise testing quality and squander valuable test time.

#3) Dissonance among all stakeholders involved:

While Agile or the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) teams might not frequently encounter this due to their close-knit cooperation, many teams still experience disagreements or communication breakdowns about when Dev, Ops, and QA should receive deliverables from each other. Thus, delays ensue.

For a deep dive into communication nuances, see => How Business, Development, and QA Can Work Together Effectively to Finish a Project Successfully

Having identified the challenges, let’s examine some potential solutions.

How Can Testers Gain Adequate Time for Testing?

#1) Estimate accurately. When uncertain, lean towards overestimating — within reason — rather than underestimating. Make sure to adjust your estimates based on your team’s capabilities, tools, and processes. Once completed, obtain official approval to ensure everyone’s on the same page.

#2) Consider historic data – Your Test Management tool is your trusty companion.

• How much time did previous test cycles for earlier releases consume?
• What complications disrupted previous test cycles?
• How many test runs did most test cases need before they passed?
• What defects were reported?
• What defects disrupted the testing process?

#3) Ask these questions and strategize accordingly when under time pressure:

• What functionalities in your project are the most critical?
• Which project modules have a high risk?
• What functionalities are most noticeable to the users?
• Which functionalities bear the majority of the safety responsibility?
• Which functionalities impact users most financially?
• Which components of the application matter the most to the clients?
• What sections of the code are most intricate and hence most error-prone?
• Which parts of the application are hurriedly developed or crafted in crisis mode?
• What do developers perceive to be the most high-risk elements of the application?
• What types of issues would generate the worst publicity?
• What types of issues would lead to a surge in customer complaints?
• What sort of tests could effectively cover multiple functionalities?

Incorporating these factors can significantly mitigate the risk of releasing a project when under strict time constraints.

#4) Utilize a Test Management tool. This will drastically cut down the time and effort spent on preparation, report generation, and maintenance.

=> Examine this compilation of the most widely used test management tools here:

#5) There’s not much you can do about faulty builds/technical issues. However, inspecting the Unit test results can shed light on whether the build was a success or a failure, and which tests didn’t pass. This way, you’re not starting from scratch.

If your Test Management Tool facilitates Continuous Integration (CI) integration, you can access this information with minimal fuss, thus gaining a more in-depth understanding of the application’s stability.

#6) Regularly track your productivity and progress. Status reports should not just be a deliverable for external teams. Monitor your daily targets and your capability to achieve them closely.

Also, be mindful not to prioritize speed over quality. Reporting, say, 50 bugs daily might give the impression of high productivity. However, if the majority of these bugs turn out to be invalid, there’s an issue.

So monitor, monitor, and then monitor some more 🙂

Conclusion:

Despite all precautions and measures, if you still find yourself pressed for time, don’t hesitate to reach out for assistance.

Most teams are ready to participate in a war room session to steer things back on course.

About the author: These useful testing tips come courtesy of STH team member Swati S.

Now, what strategies do you employ to stay on schedule and deliver quality testing services? Which points from the above article struck a chord with you?

We welcome your feedback and thank you for your readership!

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